Middlings-purifier



IINTTEE STATES PATENT TTTCE.

CLARENCE O. WHITE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MIDDLINes-PURlF-IER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,389, dated November 14, 1882.

Application led March 14, 1881. (No model.)

To all it whom may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE Oris WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVIiddlings-Puriers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to middlings-purifiers; and it consists in the construction and arrangement hereinafter particularly described, and then sought to be specically defined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a middlings-purifier with the separating apparatus arranged entirely above the shaker-frame.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, the right-hand halt' in section on the line y y of Fig. l and the lefthand half in section on the line x :v of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a middlings-purifier with the separating apparatus partially above and partially below the shaker-frame. Fig. 4 is an end elevation, the right-hand half in section on the line z z of Fig. 3 and the left-hand half in section on the line 'w -w of Fig. 3.

Ais the frame or casing in which the shakerframe B is suspended in the usual manner, and divided by a diaphragm or horizontal partition, C, into two compartments, as shown, with their bottoms made hopper-shaped and provided with conveyers a a2.

E is a fan, and F F2 two feed-hoppers, supplied with any of the well-known styles of adjustable feed slides or rollers 'G' G2, one feedhopper being below the fan and one above it, and arranged as shown.

b b2 are two chutes or wind-boards, arranged, as shown, to deiiect the blast from the fan and turn it at right angles and pass it up over chutes c c2 and down into the lower compartment formed by the partition O, and from thence up over another chute, d', and through pockets or hoods e into the fan again, thus securing a circulation of the blast within the machine.

The letter g designates a small chute, upon which the chop falls from the first feed-roller, G', and from which it runs through the blast from the fan into the second feed-hopper, F2, and from thence through the feed-roller Gf2 upon the shaker-frame B.

Between the chutes c c2 a hopper, H', is formed, from which a spout, H2, leads to the outside ofthe machine. When the blast strikes the stream of chop iiowing from the first hopper, F', it takes up the particles lighter than the middlings and carries them over the chute c2, while the heavy middliugs only drop into the second hopper, F2, and are conducted from thence to the shaker-frame.

By the arrangement of the chutes b', b2, and g the chop is caused to pass twice through the blast, so that such particles as the blast fails to take up the first time will be removed by the second current. When the blast passes over the chute c2 and enters the large open space or hopper H it expands so that it has less power upon the individual particles of' matter taken from the chop. Hence the larger ofthese particles will fall into the hopper and be conveyed from the machine by the spout H2, while the lighter particles only and the blast will be carried over the chute c'. When the blast reaches the narrow throat h,between the bottom of the hopper H and chute d', itis retarded somewhat, so that the coarser particles of the dust andbran which have been carried over the chute e will fall into the conveyer a', while the very tine dust only will be carried into the fan, and from thence again through the stream of chop, and so 011 in a complete circulation until the air becomes so heavily char-ged with the dustthat it will take up no more. Hence all additional ne dust will be dropped into the conveyer. By this means the dust, bran, Src., is removed from the middlings by the air in the machine and without blowing it out again into the mill, thus doing away with the necessity for purifying the air by passing it through cloth dust-'catchers or other devices or the annoyance of its presence in the mill.

Figs. 3 and 4L represent a machine with the separating apparatus arranged partially above and partially below the shaker-frame, in some styles of machine this arrangement being more convenient than that shown in Fig. l; but the operation is substantially the same. In the last arrangement a sheetmetal plate, i, is placed above the shaker B, upon which the heavier particles of the dust, bran, dre., after being taken from the chop by the blast, and

IOO

from which it is run by the vibrations of the shakerinto a small hopper, K, and from thence by a spout, K2, to the outside, the plate i and hoppers K K2 thus taking the place and doing the work of the hoppers H H2 of Fig. 1.

A long board or partition, L, is arranged in the rear end of the casing A, over which the lighter particles and air-blast are driven, and from thence into the space below the shaker- 'rame, (this board thus taking the place of the chute c of Fig. 1,) and the very fine dust only carried into the fan over a chute, d2, similar to the chute d', the heavier particles falling into the conveyel a2.

Hoppers M M2 M3 and spouts N N2 N3 are arranged beneath the shaker B to divide the middlings into their dit'erent grades in the ordinary manner.

Beneath the rst feed-hopper, F, in Fig. 3, a defiecting-plate, b3, is arranged similar to the detlector b2 of Fig. l, and beneath it a shortdistance another similar detlector, b4, is set, the spaces between them being provided with adjustable valves m m2, so that the power of' the blast may be regulated. These valves will be arranged, as shown, to form, in connection with the detlectors 11304, short upwardly-inclining spouts, so that the blast will take an upward course through the chop and lift it slightly as it passes through to more perfectly separate the bran, dust, Snc., therefrom.

Between the detlectors b3 b4 and the space above the shaker-frame a partition, P, is arranged, and pierced by openings 4n n2, provided with adjustable val ves n3 n4, and the lower opening provided with a hood or chute, R, projecting nearly to the detlecting-plate b4, so that the portion ot' theblast passing through the space between the detlector b* and valve m2 will be carried directly through the openingu2 and not interfere with that portion passingthrougb the space between the deector b3 and valve m', thus dividing the blast into two streams and causing the chop 'to pass twice through the blast, like the arrangement in Fig. l. A valve may also be placed upon the chutegin Fig. l, ifdesired, to regulate the power ofthe blast.

Vhen the apparatus is arranged as in Fig. 3 alarge narrow fan will be employed to set upon one side ofthe conveyor-shaft; but the operation ofthe machine is the same in both styles.

The upper and lower compartments referred to in the claims are the compartments over and under the hoppers and formed by the hoppers, which in Fig. l ot' the drawings are shown above the shaker-frame and in Fig. 2 beneath the shaker-frame.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a middlings-purifier, the combination of a casing divided into a lower and an upper compartment, communicatingatboth ends with each other, and the upper compartment having a hopper in its bottom, a fan located in the lower compartment,a feed-hopper and a series of chutes between the fan and upper compartment,and arranged substantially as shown, and an inclined chute in the lower compartment next to the t'an, substantially as shown, the several parts being adapted to operate as set forth.

2. In a middlings-puritier, the combination of a casing divided into an upper and a lower compartment, communicating at both ends with each other, and the upper compartment having a hopper in its bottom, a fan located in the lower compartment, a feed-hopper and series of chutes arranged between the fan and upper compartment, a shaker-frame a ld a feed-hopper arranged between it and the t'an, so that the middlings as they pass onto the shaker-frame will not be affected by the blast, and an inclined chute in the lower compartment next to the fan, the several parts being adapted to operate as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

G. N. WooDwARD, LoUIs Fnnsnn, Sr. 

